


A Place Called Home

by Mmsocietyhoes



Category: ONEUS (Band)
Genre: M/M, Mystery, Smut, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:34:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25366924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mmsocietyhoes/pseuds/Mmsocietyhoes
Summary: What happens when a rag tag group of college students unearth a supernatural mystery in their small uneventful town? It's the believers vs. the sceptics now.
Relationships: Kim Geonhak | Leedo/Lee Seoho, Kim Youngjo | Ravn/Yeo Hwanwoong
Comments: 17
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

The boy shivered when he heard the thud of wet boots against the wooden floor. The air in the room was musty and humid. It was heavy with the dread of what is to come. He shut his eyes tight.

He felt two sweaty palms envelop his own bound hands.

"Remember the words," he thought to himself, "You'll be alright. You'll be alright. You'll be alright. You'll be alright. You'll be alright."

He knew in his heart that he was going to be anything but. Reality weighed heavily on this 7 year old's heart. As the sound of footsteps got louder and louder, he fought the urge to relieve himself. He knew what they were like down to the smallest details. He had been seeing them for the past 2 days after all.

They were thick brown leather boots all worn down by the earth. There was always wet mud caked around it. He always knew it was raining outside cause of the cool water drops that collected like dew drops.

The little boy's gaze always shifted downwards... To the brown leather boots.  
He never had the courage to look at him in the eye. Whoever he was...

"You'll be alright..." a voice called out to him.

As shaky as the voice was, it always gave the little boy a little ray of hope.

He wasn't in this alone.

* * *

"Hyung hyung hyung hyung hyung," Dongju said as he waved his hand in front of Hwanwoong's face, "Snap out of it."

Hwanwoong shut his eyes and slapped his own checks twice.

"I'm sorry. I've just been zoning out a lot lately," he said as he shook his head.

"Well this isn't new. You're always like that," Dongju chuckled.

"No this is different... I... I don't know. It's like Deja Vu? Maybe it's the climate.... Or maybe it's Keonhee," Hwanwoong rolled his eyes.

They were both in a quaint little cafe near their college. The air smelled like the earth before a downpour of rain. The cafe was cool and humid at the same time. This put Hwanwoong at unease. He zipped his hoodie up further and nestled his hands in his pockets.

"So yeah. Tell me about this Keonhee situation," Xion raised his eyebrow.

Hwanwoong sighed.

"Well he's been doing the weirdest things lately. I hear the sound of our door clicking and unlocking at night. And when I check what's going on... The door is wide open... I find Keonhee standing in our backyard... Eyes fully closed. With his finger pointed towards the ground."

"Woah what? Sleep walking?"

"I suppose so... But the creepiest part is... He keeps saying.... 'let me out of here' in a deep and raspy voice. Almost like an old man. I never knew his mouth could make such a sound. It's so unlike him. Like something out of a horror movie."

"Wow." Xion was flabbergasted. "Just wow."

"Wait that's not all... I take him back inside. And put him back to sleep. And he doesn't remember anything at all the next day. In fact he was so scared. He wanted to go to the local temple."

"Well you two do live in a house in the middle of nowhere... And from what I know, the house does look a bit eerie at night. Keonhee hyung has always been a bit of a scaredy cat. Maybe it has taken a toll on his mental health."

"Maybe so. But we can't afford to rent any other place right now." Hwanwoong let out a deep sigh.

"I mean... Hyung... We are both men of science. I'm sure there is a logical explanation to all this. What he really needs is a doctor..."

Hwanwoong nodded. He understood where Xion was coming from. He majored in programming while Dongju was studying to become a coroner. Harbouring any thoughts of the supernatural was an affront to their profession.

"You're right. My legs have been killing me lately," Hwanwoong said as he pressed his thighs, "And I'm tired all the time cause of this. Keonhee is insistent that he's fine. And he is... Physically. He's still refusing to go to a doctor. He seems to want to visit a priest cause he's convinced he's possessed."

Dongju looked at Hwanwoong with a solemn expression. This sent a shiver down Hwanwoong's spine. Dongju was only serious when necessity called for it.

"You know. Our college has an occult club..."

"That's absurd Dongju."

"No. Hear me out. I heard they're taking supernatural cases... Just take Keonhee with you. Let them settle this and debunk Keonhee's theory that he is in fact possessed. So you can use that as a reason to finally take him to a doctor."

"That seems like a good idea. But I don't know anyone in that club."

"Just your luck," Dongju said as he took out his phone and called a number, "Cause I do."

The phone clicked after a few rings and Hwanwoong could hear a deep voice over the other end. He wondered if it was loud enough for the entire cafe to hear.

"Ah Geonhak hyung... It's me... Yeah Dongju... I have a case for your club...."

Hwanwoong rolled his eyes at being called a 'case'. But he waited patiently till Dongju was done.

"He asked me to take you to his club room tomorrow," Dongju said excitedly.

"Hey Dongju." Hwanwoong was visibly irritant "Are you using me as an excuse to have fun?"

"Maybe... Maybe not. It's still exciting isn't it??" Dongju clapped his hands gleefully, "Everyone needs a little bit of spice in their life."

Hwanwoong sighed. He disagreed with him completely. He chose this university cause of the quietness and calmness of the small town it was situated in. Nothing much happened happened in their quaint old town. It seemed to mainly run on the revenue of the students enrolled in the university. Everyone native to the town knew everyone or knew someone who knew everyone.

Hwanwoong wasn't a complete stranger to this place. He always visited his grandparents in this town when he was a young boy. He loved coming here before... Until he wasn't allowed to anymore.

His parents never gave him any real explanation. And his grandparents seemed to be happy enough to visit him at his home in the city.

But with the problem that he was facing at home... He needed rest. Some peace and quiet. A place where he could gather his thoughts.

But he never could get rid of a disturbing feeling that itched at the back of his mind when he moved into the town.

"You'll be alright," he thought to himself, "You'll be alright."

The thought always seemed to calm him down, no matter the circumstance.


	2. Chapter 2

Youngjo tapped the the wooden table with his fingers. He reclined back on his desk chair and bit his lower lip.

Yeo Hwanwoong...

He heard that name for the first time the day before. He wondered why it was making him anxious and excited at the same time. He felt a pit in his stomach. It felt exactly like the few seconds before the rollercoater took a deep plunge downwards. His heart thumped against his chest. His mind was full with empty thoughts. His breathing slowly but steadily quickened.

Who was this Yeo Hwanwoong? Why was his very name enough to rattle him... Youngjo wanted to know.

He got up and paced around the room. It didn't seem to calm him any more than sitting.

He heard the sudden twist of the door knob. Youngjo bit his lip. This brief period of uncertainty made his heart rate peak. Relief washed over him when he saw Geonhak's familiar face. He felt a little ashamed. Why was he so scared to meet a stranger?

"Dongju will bring him here soon," Geonhak said as he sat on the pastel green sofa on the side.

"Good. Good," Youngjo nodded in approval.

He could sense a hint of nervousness in Geonhak as well. The room was bubbling over with anxiety and Youngjo was afraid to breech the subject of why they were nervous in the first place. He understood Geonhak's reason when Geonhak broke the silence.

Geonhak cleared his throat.

"So... Is Seoho coming...?" he asked with a small voice.

Ah... Youngjo understood the reason perfectly.

"I don't know. He's your roommate and friend. Why didn't you ask him directly? " Youngjo provoked him. It wasn't done with any mal intent on Youngjo's part. He just wanted to Geonhak to open up to him about his.... relationship... Or as Geonhak puts it... Friendship problems.

"Oh why I haven't asked him directly...? Um... He's just been busy lately so...uh...I don't want to bother him," Geonhak says as he covers his mouth with his fingers. Youngjo could see a slight pinkish tint dusted across his cheeks.

Youngjo could read him like a book. Geonhak had just exhibited most of the textbook signs of lying like repeating the question, giving a vague and unsatisfactory reply and the classic grooming behavior of pressing the hands to the mouth.

And besides. Seoho had just finished his semester. There was no way he was busy.

Youngjo contemplated on whether he was going to address this problem between his friends or if it was better to let it resolve itself. Before he could come a decision, Seoho had entered the room.

"Ah Hyung!!" Seoho smiled cheerfully, "Haven't seen you in weeks."

"Thanks for coming," Youngjo said as he gave him a fist bump, "Oh and Geonhak is here too."

Seoho flinched a little when he said that and Geonhak looked expectantly at Seoho with his great big puppy dog eyes as he straightened up. Geonhak was clearly head over heels in love with him. 

Youngjo knew Seoho's gaze actively avoided Geonhak the moment he entered the room. Seoho's entire body was facing at an angle away from Geonhak while he spoke to Youngjo. Youngjo wasn't very proud of what he did but he wanted to assess the situation between them.

"If you're interested in a person... You lean towards them, not away, " Youngjo thought to himself. 

"Ah yes of course," Seoho laughed nervously, "Hey."

Youngjo had seen and heard Seoho's laugh a million times before to know it wasn't genuine. Seoho always smiled with his eyes. But he when he smiled for Geonhak these days, his eyes seemed still and distant. He didn't even turn his body around to acknowledge Geonhak. He subconsciously and consciously did everything in his power to avoid him.

Youngjo snapped out of his thoughts when the door flung open.

"I brought Hwanwoong as requested," Dongju announced.

Youngjo's heart stirred when he laid eyes on Yeo Hwanwoong. He was a really pretty boy with a petite and delicate body. His thin blue sweater and skinny jeans seemed to make him look smaller than he actually was. He had soft, shiny golden brown hair. He moved nervously like a school boy. And Youngjo could have sworn Hwanwoong had the most beautiful and gentle eyes he had ever seen.

"Um... Hi..." Hwanwoong smiled and waved his hand nervously as he made a mental note of the people in the room.

He was inexplicably drawn to Hwanwoong. He wanted to know more about him. He wanted to see him, study him and dissect him so he could understand who Yeo Hwanwoong was. Hwanwoong felt like a part of himself, a part he never knew he had.

Youngjo fell in love. Deeply and blindly. 

* * *

Hwanwoong felt a little uncomfortable in this room full of strangers. He looked at the posh room that was filled with thick hard covered books ranging in a variety of subjects like history, psychology and the occult. There was an expensive looking desk in the middle of the room that Hwanwoong could never afford in a million years. And a luxurious plush green sofa in the side.

He wondered how such a small and redundant club could afford such expensive things.

The guy with the blonde hair seemed to always have a perpetual smile. He had introduced himself as Lee Seoho. Hwanwoong didn't think much of him except that he was probably very perceptive under the superficial, innocent outlook that he chose to portray.

The guy with the dark brown hair seemed to much more uncomfortable with this situation than Hwanwoong. This made Hwanwoong even more uncomfortable. He knew from his voice that it was the so called Geonhak that Dongju was speaking to.

And the third guy disturbed Hwanwoong the most. He had been staring at him for the longest time like he had seen the entire world in Hwanwoong's eyes. From his mannerisms and his branded clothes, Hwanwoong was certain that he came from money.

"Kim Youngjo," he said as he extended his hand towards Hwanwoong. He stared into Hwanwoong's eyes which made him even more uncomfortable as he was certain Youngjo was trying to read him.

"Yeo Hwanwoong." They shook hands.

Youngjo could look at his eyes all day and it would still feel like the first time. He had already etched Hwanwoong's features in his brain. He already memorized the feeling of Hwanwoong's tiny hand against his own. He was resisting the urge to touch him more.

"Stop being a creep Youngjo," he thought to himself as he realized what he was doing.

"So what's the problem?" Seoho broke in.

Hwanwoong narrated the entire incident with his cousin Keonhee, trying hard to be as detailed as possible.

"I'll be straight with you," Hwanwoong said, "I don't believe in the supernatural. I just want you guys to prove to Keonhee that it's just something in his head."

The three strangers chuckled as if it wasn't the first time they were hearing this.

"Even if you don't believe in it, it still exists," Youngjo smiled smugly. His arms were crossed and his chin tilted upwards. This annoyed Hwanwoong to no end. 

"Can you prove it?" Hwanwoong shot back.

"Can you disprove it?" Youngjo asked with a slightly irritated voice.

"What cannot be settled by experiments is not worth debating," Dongju added with a casual shrug as he tried to cut the tension.

"Ah... Newton's flaming laser sword," Seoho grinned.

"Well I guess our Dongju is here is a practical person," Youngjo laughed. 

"Okay fine. You win Dongju," Hwanwoong rolled his eyes.

"Ahh winning an argument with you means the world to me Hyung!! I'm flying among the clouds. My life's purpose is complete," Dongju said comically.

Hwanwoong playfully slapped him on the shoulders. And Youngjo wished he was the one getting slapped by Hwanwoong instead.

"Flaming laser what???" Geonhak asked, "Star wars?"

"It's a philosophical razor to eliminate any unlikely explanations for a phenomenon," Seoho replied curtly, "You wouldn't understand it."

Geonhak looked visibly upset. Seoho had an unreadable expression on his face but he definitely didn't seem like he regretted saying it. The room fell quiet trying to process this new and heavy atmosphere that Seoho had created. It seemed to Hwanwoong that he did it on purpose. Whatever that purpose might be...

"Okay all that's left to do is to visit Hwanwoong's house," Youngjo cuts the tension.

"Now? It isn't even night yet," Hwanwoong interjected.

"Dear Woongi baby, don't we have to find out what your cousin was pointing to?"

Hwanwoong cringed at the new nickname this stranger took the liberty of calling him. He had a bad feeling about the entire situation. But at the same time... It felt inevitable.


	3. Chapter 3

"Ahh... the grass is too wet," Seoho whined as he plopped himself on the blanket, "My back side is all wet now."

It was supposed to be an ideal day. Geonhak and Seoho had planned to watch the meteor shower at night from the top of the hills. They had been planning it for months now.

But Geonhak suddenly had a million assignments due that week. And Seoho had developed a bad cold a few days back. It rained the entire day. And so they weren't sure if they'd make it. But they did. 

It wasn't under the best possible conditions but they were excited none the less. They had been looking forward to it for weeks now. 

"Wow. The stars look different from up here," Geonhak said.

To be honest, Geonhak didn't care much about the stars and the sky. But he changed mind when saw how excited Seoho was about the entire thing. Seoho always made him appreciate the smaller things in life. 

"It's weird, you know. If I stare at it long enough I feel like I'm falling into the sky," Seoho shuddered. 

"I feel like all my problems are inconsequential suddenly. All the stars and the planets... They don't care about us at all. We are nothing compared to what's going on out there. We are just a speck of dust in this wide ocean of stars," Geonhak laughed, "Makes me feel good for some reason. Knowing that nothing I do matters at all to the universe."

"Optimistic nihilism," Seoho said as he nodded, "I like the way you view the world sometimes."

Normally Geonhak's entire mind would shut down when Seoho complimented him but he suddenly saw something at the periphery of his vision. 

"HEY! HEY! DID YOU SEE THAT," he said with excitement befitting a 5 year old. 

"I did," Seoho laughed. 

And they watched in silence as the stars danced across the dark sky. There were all alone with not one person for miles to come. Geonhak felt like they were the last people alive. The tree branches swayed and the leaves rustled as a cool breeze passed by them. They could hear their own laboured breathing. 

"Wow," Seoho whispered. 

Geonhak looked at Seoho.

"Wow, indeed," Geonhak thought. 

The moon light had reflected off Seoho's skin making him look pale and Geonhak felt like he had seen the stars shine in Seoho's eyes. Seoho turned towards him and smiled. His nose scrunched up when he did. It was a 'I'm so glad we are doing this together' kind of smile. And his eyes took the shape of crescents. Geonhak's heart thumped knowing that the smile was for no one else in the universe except for him. Seoho gravitated towards him a little. And he felt like he was being sucked into Seoho. Like he was falling into him. 

He didn't know how it happened. But in a few seconds he found his lips pressed against Seoho's. He could hear a tiny yelp from Seoho and he wondered if it was better to break off the kiss. But Seoho wrapped his arms around Geonhak and pulled him close. 

Seoho tasted like all that was right in the world. Seoho pushed his tongue into Geonhak's mouth. Their noses bumped and he could feel himself breathing Geonhak's air. He tangled his fingers into Geonhak's hair. Geonhak found himself crushing the blanket under him with his hand. Even when Geonhak was all breathless and tried to pull away, Seoho pulled him towards himself and gave him one last lingering peck at the side of his mouth, still hesitant to let him go. 

God he had waited for so long. 

They were both left breathless and panting. 

"That took me by surprise," Seoho laughed. 

"I'm sorry," Geonhak said, "I don't know why I did it." His faced burned up and he was sure his ears couldn't get any more redder. 

"No no no," Seoho flailed his arms about, "It was a good surprise. I liked it. I wouldn't have kissed you back otherwise." 

"I'm glad then," Geonhak said as he relaxed his body. 

"Would you like it if I did it again?" Seoho asked. He then realised what he said. Geonhak had never seen him turn so red before. Seoho held his knees and buried his face into his arms. 

"Forget I said it," he added. 

"No. I'd like that... A lot."

They kissed... again and again and again. And Geonhak hoped it would never end. 

* * *

  
Geonhak sighed as he pondered over what went wrong. Geonhak sighed a lot lately. He wanted more than anything in the world to just talk to Seoho. They were sitting close by in the backseat of Youngjo's car. Dongju sat in the middle, separating them both. The barrier between them wasn't just Dongju but it was something of the mind. And it was much harder to break. 

Dongju was annoyed to sit in such an uncomfortable position to say the least. Seoho sat there like a stone, still and unmoving. While Youngjo and Hwanwoong bickered on about some trivial matter that Geonhak wasn't even going to bother listening to. 

He was surprised at how two strangers who had just met an hour ago found it so easy to bicker like an old married couple. He knew Youngjo was totally and completely smitten by Hwanwoong. And it was hard not to be. "Baby" Hwanwoong as he put it, was completely Youngjo's type. Youngjo insisted that Hwanwoong had to sit in the passenger seat for providing him with "directions". But everyone in the car, except the couple in question, guessed that Youngjo did it so he could be closer to Hwanwoong. Youngjo might have even "accidentally" brushed his hand against Hwanwoong's thigh when he switched the gear. 

"Shameless," Geonhak thought. 

Geonhak heaved a sigh of relief when the car stopped. The tension between him and Seoho was just too much for the car to contain. And he knew Dongju felt it too. 

When they got out of the car Hwanwoong was attacked by a very tall and slim guy who just seemed to be all limbs. 

"Why are you so late," he whined as he hugged Hwanwoong, "I hate being in the house alone."

"Everyone this is my cousin Keonhee," Hwanwoong laughed nervously. 

"Hello," Keonhee said excitedly as he waved his hand. 

He seemed a little too positive and happy for someone who was supposedly possessed at night. 

They introduced themselves. And Youngjo seemed a bit worried. 

"I don't see any signs of possession," Youngjo whispered to Geonhak as the rest of the group walked towards the house, "He seems healthy and fine."

"We'll just have to see what's hidden in that backyard of theirs." 

Youngjo nodded solemnly. 

* * *

  
"So yeah. This was the spot that Keonhee was pointing to," Hwanwoong said indignantly, "So once we find out that there is absolutely nothing under it, we can all go home happy and Keonhee can finally get some help."

"Don't be so sure of yourself," Youngjo scoffed. Hwanwoong rolled his eyes in retaliation.

"I don't know which is worse Knowing that I'm possessed or that I might be going crazy," Keonhee wailed, "And you guys are sure I might be one of either."

"I'm not sure if you were possessed," Youngjo admitted, "You look perfectly fine."

"A-Ha," Hwanwoong gave little gleeful jump, "So you admit it."

Youngjo thought it was the cutest thing he had ever seen and did everything in his power to stop himself from crushing Hwanwoong with a huge bear hug. 

"We'll see," Youngjo said quietly. 

Hwanwoong expected Youngjo to retaliate. But Youngjo scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile. Hwanwoong won their little argument but he lost all the same. Hwanwoong's heart skipped a beat and he wondered why he felt like he could never properly win against Kim Youngjo. 

"It's his damn face," Hwanwoong thought, "He's too good looking." 

Geonhak, Seoho and Youngjo got around to digging the area. The soil was wet, making it even more heavier to haul. Youngjo seemed to have a hard time. But Geonhak and Seoho seemed to manage just fine. 

Hwanwoong didn't take part in it cause he had "small hands"(The real reason being that Youngjo would never let 'baby' Woong do any work if he had any say in it). Keonhee was too much of a scaredy cat and Dongju just whined about how it would ruin his new outfit and his perfectly manicured nails. 

They were around 5 feet deep into the soil when Leedo hit something with his shovel. 

"Hyung," he said, "See this."

They all gathered around to see what it could be.

Geonhak groaned. 

Keonhee screamed. 

Dongju gasped. 

Seoho frowned. 

And Hwanwoong's jaw dropped. 

"Woongi baby..." Youngjo said as he stared into what seemed to be a human skull, "Now do you believe me?"


	4. Chapter 4

"WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL," Keonhee cried, "So I was actually possessed by his person."

Hwanwoong hugged him from the side. Keonhee rested his chin on Hwanwoong's head. 

"It's fine... It's fine... It's just a coincidence I'm sure," Hwanwoong replied with a cracked voice, "No such things as ghosts. It goes against science and logic."

Hwanwoong wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Keonhee or himself. 

"Just because science has not been able to explain it YET doesn't mean ghosts don't exist," Youngjo said with a self satisfied grin. 

Hwanwoong scrunched up his nose and playfully hit Youngjo's arm. 

"I'm sure there's an explanation. It's probably a conincidence," Hwanwoong persisted. 

"You never give up do you...? I like that about you," Youngjo laughed as he put his arm around Hwanwoong. 

Hwanwoong cringed at little. But in all honestly, he liked how Youngjo was always honest about his feelings. No matter how cheesy it was. 

"He's so shameless," Geonhak thought again. 

Seoho and Geonhak were helping Dongju recover and arrange the bones. While Keonhee did his best trying to avoid looking at them. 

"So tell us. Our future forensics expert... What is the situation here?" 

"Well," Dongju started as he tightened his gloves, "I was able to recover most of the long bones, the pelvis and the skull. We are missing a few vertebra and the smaller bones of the hands and legs. I'm sure we can find them if we prodded on further but this is enough to assess the age and sex of this person." 

"How long has it been since they died," Seoho asked. 

"The body has decomposed completely and I cannot see any tissue around the bones, so I'd say around 8-10 years."

"Cause of death?" Youngjo asked. 

"See this fissure here?" Dongju said as he pointed to the backside of the skull, "Someone hit this person hard with a heavy object from behind. And their skull cracked." 

Keonhee winced. 

"What about the age and sex?" Geonhak asked, "How would you know something like that from bones?"

"Well males and females do have many differences in the structure of their pelvis and skull. From what I know this person is a man. He has a much smaller and narrower pelvis compared to women who have a wider pelvis to allow the birth of the baby. As for age I can say he was well above 45 years when he died cause his sternum has fused entirely. Certain bones fuse together at certain ages and that's how forensic experts find out the age."

"Thats the reason why we have about 300 bones when we are born and only 206 when we grow into adults," Seoho added. 

"So this might have been a man well above 45 who died 10 years ago..." Youngjo summarized. 

"Wow Dongju... You're amazing," Hwanwoong patted him on the back. 

"I know I know," Dongju laughed, "But the real question is... Do we hand this over to the police?" 

"Absolutely... There is no question about it," Hwanwoong replied, "I'm going to call them right now."

"Hey... Guys... That Seoho guy has been acting a bit strange for a while," Keonhee's voice trembled as he pointed towards Seoho. 

All their eyes instantly turned towards Seoho. He had knelt on the ground. His palm rested on top of the skull. His eyes were completely closed. 

"Hey Seoho snap out of it," Geonhak said as he shook his shoulders. 

Seoho pushed Geonhak with his free hand. And Geonhak went tumbling on the muddy ground. Youngjo and Hwanwoong rushed to pull him up. Seoho remained still and unmoving.

"He's never been this strong," Geonhak said as Youngjo and Hwanwoong helped him up. 

"I think... He's acting like a medium?" Youngjo thought out loud, "Isn't Seoho's family in charge of the temple?" 

"Yeah. They are..." Geonhak replied. 

"Ah... So he attracts that kind of energy... Makes sense."

But to Hwanwoong nothing made sense.

"Who are you?" Youngjo asked what seemed to be Seoho... But could be someone else entirely. 

"The... One... Buried... Under..." 

"THAT'S NOT SEOHO'S HYUNG'S VOICE," Keonhee screamed, "That sounds like an old man's voice."

"Youngjo hyung... Don't provoke it further..." Dongju pleaded. 

Youngjo paid no heed to anyone else. He was feeling exhilarated. He finally had the slightest bit of evidence to believe in the supernatural. 

"What do you want?" Youngjo asked. 

"Find... The... One... Who... Killed...Me."

Keonhee squealed and Dongju clung to Hwanwoong. 

"And who might that be?" 

"My... Daughter..."

With that, Seoho fell to the ground. 

"Check his pulse! Check his pulse!" Dongju screamed. 

Geonhak rushed over to Seoho and felt his pulse. He was overcome with relief when he felt it on his fingers. He rested Seoho's head on his thighs. He rubbed Seoho's forehead with his thumb. 

"Bring some water," he ordered. 

* * *

Seoho woke up with the worst headache he had in ages. The room spinned around him for a few seconds. He pressed his temple and clenched his teeth. The last thing he remembered was being at Hwanwoong's place and now he found himself in his room. 

He looked at Geonhak who had fallen asleep sitting on a chair while his chest and face rested on Seoho's bed. 

"Must be uncomfortable..." Seoho thought as he ran his fingers through Geonhak's hair trying hard not to disturb him. 

Seoho realised that Geonhak had changed him into his boxers and t shirt. He had even wiped the mud off (albeit very badly) Seoho's face and legs. Seoho chuckled trying to imagine how Geonhak the Pure must've stripped Seoho while looking away. 

"I don't hate you," Seoho said as he planted a kiss on Geonhak's head, "Don't make it harder for me to push you away."

* * *

"How's Seoho hyung?" Hwanwoong asked as he sipped on his latte. 

Hwanwoong had bumped into Youngjo on his way out of college a few days after the incident. Youngjo insisted that they catch up. How was Hwanwoong supposed to refuse an offer for a free and over priced latte?

"He's doing good," Youngjo replied, "You look great too! A few days back, you looked so tired I was doubting if you were the one who was possessed and not Keonhee."

Hwanwoong rolled his eyes and laughed, "I know. Keonhee stopped sleepwalking after that. And I'm able to sleep well these days."

"I'm glad," Youngjo smiled.

Hwanwoong's heart skipped a beat. That smile... It was always enough to floor Hwanwoong. 

"So how did you handle the police," Youngjo asked, "I'm sorry I wasn't there since I had to drive Seoho and Geonhak back home."

"It was a bit of a drag when the police came and they kept asking questions about how we found it. I told them that the three of us were trying out gardening. They didn't seem convinced but they didn't care much. We obviously could not have done it since we would've just been 7 years old when the murder probably took place."

"Hold that thought," Youngjo said as his phone started ringing, "It's the police."

Hwanwoong could pinpoint the exact moment when Youngjo who picked up the call so cheerfully had all colour drain from his face. 

"What happened? What did the police say," Hwanwoong asked with a concerned look on his face. 

"They ran some tests and checked the records for missing people and..."

"And?"

"The person who we found..." Youngjo bit his lip, "Was my Grandfather."

Hwanwoong knew exactly what Youngjo was thinking. He pressed Youngjo's hand. 

"Which just means my mom..." Youngjo breathed in trying to hold back a sob, "Probably killed him."

Hwanwoong pressed his hand tighter.

"Hey... You'll be alright." 

"That line..." a single tear fell from Youngjo's eyes, "It's like Deja Vu."


	5. Chapter 5

The brown haired boy quietly sobbed into his sleeve, his face streaked with tears and snot. The blonde haired boy next to him patted him on the back ever so gently. 

The room they were in was damp and cold. And the dust made their noses itch. 

"Hey don't cry... We can go home soon," he said. 

"I just want my mom," the brown haired boy cried. 

"Maybe you know... A hero will swoop in and save us," the blonde haired boy made a flying motion with his bound hands. 

"You think so? Like in the movies?" he asked with doe eyes. He stopped crying to focus on the blonde haired guy. He liked him immediately. His eyes closed when he smiled and his nose always scrunched up. The brown haired boy felt safe just by listening to him talk. 

"Yes I'm sure," the blonde hair boy laughed. He wasn't sure if he believed in it himself. But he wanted to calm the younger one down. He suddenly felt a sense of responsibility towards him. Like how one would feel if their parents bought their 8 year old self a new pet goldfish. 

"What's your name?"

"Lee Gunmin," the blonde haired boy replied, "And yours?"

"Kim Geonhak."

* * *

Hwanwoong found himself marvelling at Youngjo's apartment. It was a single bedroom apartment. All he could see was just black and white. There was a huge TV and large speakers surrounding it. There was a plush black sofa in the middle. And Youngjo's kitchen looked like it hadn't been used in ages. 

He thought about his and Keonhee's rented house which was in the middle of nowhere. He thought about how the roof always leaked when it was raining. And about how the floorboards creaked and his fear that it might break under him at any moment. 

He didn't even know why he had followed Youngjo to his apartment. It was completely out of character for him. But all he knew was that he wasn't going to let Youngjo be alone. 

"Nice apartment," Hwanwoong admitted. 

"Thanks," Youngjo smiled. 

Hwanwoong's heart always fluttered when Youngjo smiled. Youngjo was the most attractive guy he had ever seen. And his gentle and loving smile always made Hwanwoong feel a bit special. Like that smile was tailored for him alone. 

"How much is your rent?" Hwanwoong asked expectantly even though he knew that he could never afford a place like this in a million years. 

"Oh I own the building," Youngjo said with a surprised expression, "I thought you knew."

Hwanwoong's mouth flung open and Youngjo just laughed. 

"Wait wait wait wait..." Hwanwoong pestered on, "How the hell??"

"My mom left the building to me... Before she passed away."

"I'm so sorry for asking," Hwanwoong said as he mentally hit himself. He felt like he had known Youngjo for a long time but Hwanwoong suddenly realized that they were practically strangers. There were a lot of things he didn't know about him... But he wished to know more. 

"No no... It's fine... it was a long time ago. I was probably around 9 at that time."

"Dad?"

"Don't know him... Nobody except my mom did... I guess."

Hwanwoong stared at his own feet quietly not knowing what to say. He regretted making Youngjo remember his painful past. But he wanted to know more from him all the same. Youngjo immediately noticed the sadness in Hwanwoong's face.

"I don't like seeing you sad..." Youngjo said as he put his arm around Hwanwoong.

"Oh yeah? Why is that?" Hwanwoong teased. 

"Cause you're my baby Woong," Youngjo shrugged. 

"STOPPPPP ITTT," Hwanwoong screamed. He slapped Youngjo's arm with both his hands. Youngjo never failed to make him cringe. 

Youngjo laughed and ruffled Hwanwoong's hair. Hwanwoong stuck his tongue out at him. Youngjo realized that he was absolutely smitten by Yeo Hwanwoong. 

"Would you go out with me if I asked?" Youngjo said suddenly as he looked away from Hwanwoong. 

"Wait...what??" Hwanwoong tried to process what Youngjo had said. Hwanwoong was a bit slow sometimes... Especially with matters regarding his feelings.

Youngjo's ears, nose and cheeks took the brightest shade of pink. And he still refused to look at Hwanwoong. 

"I said... Would you go out with me?" Youngjo repeated. 

"I... " Hwanwoong felt his own cheeks burning up, "I'd actually love that."

Youngjo finally looked at Hwanwoong who covered his face with his hands to hide his embarrassment. Youngjo walked over to him and pulled Hwanwoong's hands away from his face as he stared into his eyes. Hwanwoong was still averting his gaze. 

"So when are you free this week?" Youngjo asked with a big smile on his face. Hwanwoong was dazzled by the brilliance of his smile. 

* * *

Geonhak woke up in a cold sweat. His hands shivered. His stomach dropped and he felt nauseated. He had the worst dream he's ever had in his life. He scanned the room and quickly realized that he was sleeping on Seoho's bed. He threw the blanket aside and went searching for Seoho. 

He found him humming some song and making coffee in the kitchen. Geonhak heaved a sigh of relief which compelled Seoho to notice him. 

"I had the worst nightmare," Geonhak said as he pressed his hand on his forehead. 

Seoho looked at him with concern. He had never seen Geonhak so rattled by a nightmare before. Geonhak was probably the strongest person he knew. 

"What was it about?"

"Youngjo hyung..."

"Tell me..." Seoho moved closer to him. 

"I don't know," Geonhak paced about, "There was blood... His eyes were still and cold. His pupils dilated... His skin was pale... He looked lifeless."

"It's just a dream..." Seoho smiled gently, "Nothing more."

"No..." Geonhak persisted, "It felt so real... Like a premonition."

"Geonhak ah..." Seoho said as his hand wandered towards Geonhak subconsciously. Upon realizing what he was doing, Seoho pulled his hand back but Geonhak immediately caught his wrist and pulled him into a hug. 

He was glad when Seoho placed his hands on his back, enveloping him. For a minute Seoho let all his inhibitions fade away. All he wanted to do for the moment was to make Geonhak feel better. And Geonhak was ever so thankful to Seoho for letting him have that moment. 

"Your back... It's drenched in sweat," Seoho whined, "I might have to wash my bed sheets."

"Shut up," Geonhak said as he nuzzled his face into Seoho's neck. He wasn't annoyed in the least. He was happy to bicker with Seoho like before... Even if he knew it wasn't going to last. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic alternates between the past and present. It can get a little confusing but I swear it'll make sense in the future😁


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